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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is quite rude, not helpful?

45 replies

somesortofmagic · 14/01/2016 06:54

At our local (small) Tesco there's 3 self service 'tills' as well as 2 normal tills and the queue for each is very distinctly separate/marked out but with the way they're laid out one of the till operators can see who's queuing for the self serve tills, and the queue for both is easily visible whichever one you're in.

A few times when I've been in there I've queued for the self serve tills because I want to be able to pack as I scan (not talking being ridiculously slow here, just not throwing the stuff through as fast as possible and not taking stuff out of the basket in a weird order so it's harder to pack), and also want to check the price of reduced/offer stuff is right. Did this yesterday and the staff member on the till finished with the customer she was serving and as there was no queue for her till called "next please" at the self serve queue. I was in front and gave her a polite smile and pointed to the self service machines to show I was happy waiting for them. She then shouted it twice more, sounding more pissy each time, with a real scowl, until the guy behind me went up to her (I'd said he could go ahead of me after the first time but didn't want to make him in case he was happy waiting too).

This has happened a few times before but I've usually gone up to the till or it's been covered by someone else rushing to the manned till. AIBU that it's very helpful to ask once if people want serving but after that it's incredibly rude to basically insist that people should go to you if they're not taking advantage of your offer? Really dislike having to hope the manned till(s) have a large queue if I want to be able to use the machine in peace!

OP posts:

CallieTorres · 14/01/2016 07:00

How do you 'check' the prices on reduced stuff on the self service?

This must be a first though on MN, a preference for self service

Original poster

somesortofmagic · 14/01/2016 07:04

Just seeing what price it goes on at when you scan it - at the manned till there isn't a display to look at so I'd just have to wait and then check the receipt after and then go back if something wasn't right. I think I am in the minority, I love doing the self service for food/supermarket shopping as it's just so much easier for me - any other type of shop and I'm quite happy to chat to the till assistant etc but doing it while trying to sort food packing just stresses me out.

OP posts:

otterlylovely · 14/01/2016 07:06

It is rude the way she did it, but I imagine she might have got into trouble if she was sat there doing nothing as a queue built up elsewhere.

Emochild · 14/01/2016 07:07

My dd would always use the self service -she has aspergers and anxiety -if the assistant kept shouting over to her like that then she would have panicked

Perhaps a little awareness is required -there are many reasons a person might want to use the self scan

theycallmemellojello · 14/01/2016 07:07

I think that the onus is on you to say loudly that you're waiting for the self service tills. Of course the check out person is going to say next please if there are people behind you, they wouldn't be doing their job properly if they didn't. Even if they saw your gesture and understood it as meaning you're waiting for the other tills, they still have to let the person behind you know that they're free.

Original poster

somesortofmagic · 14/01/2016 07:13

I could totally understand it if she had to keep offering, maybe saying "anyone want to come to this till?" would get a quicker response, but shouting "NEXT PLEASE!" just sounds rude and as if the presumption is someone MUST go to her like it or not. Would definitely be very difficult for any customers who struggled with that sort of interaction.

OP posts:

Birdsgottafly · 14/01/2016 07:17

I also like the self scanners.

I've had staff, especially in the Tesco Express get really arsey over this.

I organise my life so I'm not in a permanent rush and if there's free tills, I want to take my time packing my bag how I like it done.

I've had assistants in other shops, shouting at me to move tills, when I can't fit through them tills, because of a relatives wheelchair etc.

usual · 14/01/2016 07:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Picnic2223 · 14/01/2016 07:21

The people that struggle with that interaction, what did they do before self service tills?

She was doing her job.

BackInTheRealWorld · 14/01/2016 07:22

I think you were the rude one tbh. She had the decency to ask out loud but that's not good enough for you? Yet you can just point at another till and that's supposed to be ok? Why couldn't you have said 'No thank you, I like the self service tills?' Or something? At least you didn't grunt I suppose.

usual · 14/01/2016 07:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

diddl · 14/01/2016 07:26

Doesn't sound any different to me than to when a new till is opened & anyone who wants to can go there.

I doubt that she was specifically calling to you.

ghnocci · 14/01/2016 07:28

Yabu and obviously have never worked in retail.

She was trying to clear the queue. When she kept saying "next please" after you'd gestured she was obviously addressing the person behind you.

You might have taken her tone as rude but she was probably just trying to be loud and assertive. Most members of the public are either in a world of their own or deaf.

usual · 14/01/2016 07:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

knobblyknee · 14/01/2016 07:36

YANBU. She could have let people know there was space in a polite and cheerful manner.

wigglesrock · 14/01/2016 07:37

Why didn't you just call over "you're alright I'm waiting on these tills". I think you're hugely overthinking it - "next please" is a pretty standard callout in any largeish shop.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 14/01/2016 07:58

The people that struggle with that interaction, what did they do before self service tills?

Used the normal tills, obviously. But why offer another service, presumably for the benefit of their customers, and then deny these customers the opportunity to use it?

Original poster

somesortofmagic · 14/01/2016 08:01

I organise my life so I'm not in a permanent rush - should be a like button on here

I wasn't objecting at all to her calling out, just the way she was coming across by the end - it sounded incredibly stroppy, rather than loud/assertive. I didn't call over as I'd have had to call out and feel that sounds weird - she sounds normal calling out as she works there IYSWIM. I didn't ignore her at least, and if she'd asked once "can I help anyone?" or similar I'm sure someone would have gone up quicker.

OP posts:

FishWithABicycle · 14/01/2016 08:04

You wouldn't be at all unreasonable if you'd just said out loud "I want to use one of these" rather than relying on gesticulation.

fredfredgeorgejnrsnr · 14/01/2016 08:06

It sounds like you were not clear enough to the other people - the other people in the queue and the assistant - to make it clear that you wanted to use the self service tills. You just need to make it more obvious, I see this scenario often in the shop where I often pick up lunch and no-one gets annoyed and it works fine.

whatdoIget · 14/01/2016 08:14

I sound arsey if I have to shout loudly. I'm not though. It's just something about my voice at too much volume that gives it a sort of desperate, screechy quality

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 14/01/2016 08:16

Er yes you gestured at the self service till anyone behind you can't see you point, it's Sheilded by your back.
Fine you wanted tonusevthevself service, she however was doing her job. If at work you've completed your task don't you ask what's next if you haven't got anything lined up? What did you expect her to do stand on the till and sip coffee maybe have a fag until someone noticed she was free?!
Both you and the bloke behind you were holding up the queue for your own frankly quite bizarre reasons. Most people use the self service for speed, the opposite to you that they can just shove their stuff in one bag and leave. It would annoy me if there was some one in the self serve plodding along when I just had a small bag so her calling next, I'd find it helpfull if you'd actually verbally said I'm using the self service please go a head of me.

As for not liking social interaction at manned tils you don't have to have it. There's a woman at mine thaf insists on remarking on everything you've brought I just don't respond. and this conversation really happened.
Her: oh Indian snack pack, I like I nice curry.
Me: yes can I have a bag please, thank you. Oh I'm paying by card.

As for packing you just say I have a bag and pack it your damn self!

We have the opposite problem a lot of people would prefer to use the manned tills so the line builds up when the self service is free. And staff have to leave refilling shelves to serve. And again people just turn round to the people behind them
And go the self service is fee anyone who wants to use it can go!

BishopBrennansArse · 14/01/2016 08:46

I always use self service. OP YANBU.

UntilTheCowsComeHome · 14/01/2016 10:36

I sound arsey if I have to shout loudly. I'm not though. It's just something about my voice at too much volume that gives it a sort of desperate, screechy quality

Oh god me too, and I work in a shop and have to shout "who's next please" quite often.

SillyOldElfBackToYourself · 14/01/2016 10:47

I always prefer the self service tills too OP,
I think you were NBU to wait for one.

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